For the glory of God, in honor of Saint John Mary Vianney
I pray that some of what you read or hear may lift your spirits in praise of Jesus Christ.
Please feel free to email with questions or prayer needs.

Catholic Prayers for the New Evangelization

"Catholic Prayers for the New Evangelization"

Check out the revised edition of this exciting and unique prayer book, filled with prayers that are sure to nourish the soul as we undertake the New Evangelization.

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

There is not one shred of "overlap" between the enshrinement of immorality in law by SCOTUS and the sacred doctrine of the Church on marriage. The Church teaches what God ordains and admonishes what He condemns. Sodomy is not an act for which a person ought to be honored. The National Reporter speaks for itself and not, thank God, for the Church.

Sometimes life is messy.Coming
to meet Jesus Christ face to face means travelling a road that is not always pleasant,
requiring us to become more humble and focus on what is most valuable.What we become accustomed to or believe to be
important is taken away but faith, hope and love endure.

6. Along the road
of life, every human need, each of our own wounds and

sufferings, is an experience of our souls crying out for the healing
power of Jesus Christ, who came into our world to heal the brokenness of
humanity.

Jesus was not afraid of the messiness of life.He embraced it in order to redeem it.

We speak of some situation as a “disaster waiting to happen” or a
person as an “accident waiting to happen.”

Why do we never say something is a “miracle waiting to
happen?”

In fact, every human need is an opportunity for the power of God’s
grace to work in us in a remarkable way.

7. Readings of the
first two weeks of Advent brought to mind the importance of

spiritual growth.

Saint Paul says, “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love,”
“conduct yourselves to please God even more.”

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says, “Do not become drowsy!”

Faith is not a one-time statement of commitment.

There are no comfortable plateaus in an authentic spiritual life.

Complacency is the enemy of grace.

Spiritual growth in daily dialogue with the Lord is the key to
holiness, lasting joy and peace and, ultimately, eternal salvation.

8. At Christmas, we
come before the newborn savior with the awe and wonder of a

little boy memorized by a brand new train set whizzing around the Christmas
tree, asking the Lord Jesus to give us an increase in faith, the courage to
grow in our spiritual life, to forget the people who have hurt us in the past
or the people upon whom we might desire to seek vengeance, and to abound in
faith and love.

Because Mary believed, Jesus was born!

Christmas is a reminder to believe and to love, for our needs and
our deep faith combine to form an invitation for Jesus to be born anew in us
and to work great and miraculous things.

May we in the New Year ahead have even more faith, hope and
love, and experience the goodness of the Lord in abundance.

Looking back on Advent as we prepare
to celebrate Christmas, we can see three particular themes from the Sunday readings
of the past four weeks.

1. Spiritual growth

Readings of the first two weeks of
Advent brought to mind the importance of spiritual growth.

Saint Paul says, “May the Lord make
you increase
and abound in love,” “conduct yourselves to please God even more.”

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says, “Do
not become drowsy!”

Faith is not a one-time statement of
commitment.

There are no comfortable plateaus in
an authentic spiritual life.

Complacency is the enemy of grace.

Spiritual growth in daily dialogue
with the Lord is the key to holiness, lasting joy and peace and, ultimately,
eternal salvation.What are you doing
daily to deepen your relationship with God?

2. Vocation

On Gaudete Sunday, various people in
the crowds come to Jesus – each from different walks of life – asking what to
do to inherit eternal life.Jesus
answers them, each in a way that corresponds to their own unique situation.The tax collectors are to stop over-taxing
for their own benefit, the soldiers are to be honest and not engage in
extortion.

How much time to you devote to
discerning your vocation in life or discerning how the Lord wants you to
fulfill your call to priesthood, marriage, or religious life – and the
particular assignments or careers within your vocation – for His glory every
single day?Where in your family, your
duties, your business or your community do you need to change your behavior in
order to conform to God’s law and so inherit eternal life?

3. Sacrifice

Hebrews reminds us of God’s Word:

When Christ came into the world, he
said:“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,but a body you prepared for me;in holocausts and sin offerings you took no
delight.Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,behold, I come to do your will, O God.’“First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings,holocausts and sin offerings,you neither desired nor delighted in.”These are offered according to the law.Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.”He takes away the first to establish the second.By this “will,” we have been consecratedthrough the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all.

Jesus came to “fulfill the law” not “abolish”
it.So, when the old law is taken away
it is fulfilled by an even greater teaching.The image of Jesus sacrificing His life on the Altar of the Cross
reminds us most poignantly that sacrifice is not gone as an element of our
faith but rather fulfilled, enhanced and given deeper meaning.

The sacrifices of animals in the Temple in
Jerusalem, according to the cumbersome and burdensome ancient Jewish laws, is
replaced by a new covenant and a new sacrifice, namely, the self-offering of
Jesus, who is at once both priest and victim.Jesus’ obedience to the Father’s will in offering Himself on the Cross
consecrates us who are baptized in the name of Jesus. The Father is no longer pleased by
slaughtering animals but He is pleased by Jesus’ self-abasement.In the Mass the new covenant and the reality
of the sacrifice of Calvary are made present for us.

As Christians, we are branded with the indelible mark
of Baptism, which compels us to live out the self-sacrificing love of Jesus.

How are we humbling and emptying ourselves to serve
others each day? How are we obediently following
God’s will in order to build up the Church?

Monday, November 30, 2015

After Andrew had stayed with Jesus and had learned much from him, he did not keep this treasure to himself, but hastened to share it with his brother.

From today's office of readings.

As priests we are called to facilitate encounters between the faithful and the living Christ. Jesus and His Church have amazing gifts to offer and we are honored with the task of sharing those gifts with the world. May we meet Jesus everyday and prayer and always hasten to share Him with love.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

With the release of the video detailing Planned Parenthood's planned murder of babies and the sale of their body parts and organs we are seeing the truth behind abortion. It's not about helping women or providing the best medical care as the spin doctors would lead us to believe. Partial birth abortion, Kermit Gosnell, and now the sale of human fetal body parts demonstrate that the abortion industry is evil. The scenario is reminiscent of the situation in Nazi Germany in the 1940s. An evil plan to destroy lives was being perpetuated and there was a propaganda campaign to cover it up but while most people did nothing a small group of resistors tried to bring it down. So we can relate very well to the plight of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Kreisau Circle and the resistance to Nazi Germany. We face not just a "social issue" but psychopathy, murder, the work of the Evil One himself and a calculated campaign to destroy innocent human life for variety of reasons: racism, the destruction of certain unwanted persons, money, power, votes politics. It is an issue on which all people must be further educated and an issue about which our Christian leaders must speak out clearly but compassionately. People of all faiths, rally against this modern holocaust!

Friday, January 30, 2015

Who am I? They often tell me I stepped from my cell’s confinement Calmly, cheerfully, firmly, Like a Squire from his country house.

Who am I? They often tell me I used to speak to my warders Freely and friendly and clearly, As thought it were mine to command.

Who am I? They also tell me I bore the days of misfortune Equably, smilingly, proudly, like one accustomed to win.

Am I then really that which other men tell of? Or am I only what I myself know of myself? Restless and longing and sick, like a bird in a cage, Struggling for breath, as though hands were compressing my throat, Yearning for colors, for flowers, for the voices of birds, Thirsting for words of kindness, for neighborliness, Tossing in expectations of great events, Powerlessly trembling for friends at an infinite distance, Weary and empty at praying, at thinking, at making, Faint, and ready to say farewell to it all.

Who am I? This or the Other? Am I one person today and tomorrow another? Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others, And before myself a contemptible woebegone weakling? Or is something within me still like a beaten army Fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?

Spiritual Motherhood

Father Beiting's Appalachian Mission

A splendid outreach in which I had the privilage of sharing for a week in the summer of 2010. Father Beiting was a holy and loving man - a living saint! It was an honor to meet him. May he rest in peace. Click on the window learn more...

Liturgy Bulletin Series

Click for more information...e-mail me if you can use these in your parish bulletin or if you have questions/suggestions...